Washing machine



Nov. 10, 1925.

v w. F. BLAKE ET AL WASHING MACHINE Film} Jan. 20. 1923 i 7 I 7 I I [IIII/IIIIIII%IIIIIIIIIIII Patented Nov. 10, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM F. BLAKE AND ETHEL R. BLAKE, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

WASHING MACHINE.

Application filed January 20, 1923. Serial No. 613,845.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM F. BLAKE and ETHEL R. BLAKE, citizens of the United States, residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful l vashing Machine of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to washing machines, and has for its object to provide simple and improved means for effecting a thorough agitation of the clothes within the water, and for elevating and distributing water upon and through the clothes while undergoing such agitation so as to insure subjecting each of the garments or pieces in the wash to similar cleansing operations.

In attaining this object the invention contemplates the employement of a vertically reciprocal hollow plunger disposed in close proximity to the inner wall of a tub or con tainer for water. Said plunger has a side face thereof exposed to contact with the clothes in said container provided with an elongated lateral opening forming a cage-like trap for the reception of clothes and water, and said face is also provided at the lower edge of the plunger with a laterally projecting horizontal flange adapted to assist in elevating the clothes with the upward movementof said plunger together with which the water trapped therein will also be elevated and discharged upon the clothes as the latter are raised and dropped by the reciprocal action of said plunger. Preferably two plungers are employed in opposed relation and adapted to be reciprocated simultaneously in reverse order of direction by a common actuating member, so that the co-operative action of the plunger-s will be such as to alternatively engage the clothes pack upon opposite sides under movement in opposite directions and thus sets up a rapid and continuous agitation such as to effectively dislodge and remove dirt from the clothes.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which,

Fig. l is a central vertical sectional view of a washing machine equipped with plungers embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective of the plunger detached.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 1.

In these views the reference character 1 designates an ordinary cylindrical tub usually of sheet metal and suitably supported upon legs 2. he top edge of the tub may be provided with a cover as indicated by the member 3, but preferably this member is of the form of a strip or bar bridging the tub and carrying at each end a pivotal latch 4 engageable with a peripheral flange 5 on the tub for detachably securing said bar thereon. Extending centrally fro-m the bar 3 is a vertical post 6 upon which an actuating lever 7 is pivotally mounted as at 8, and pivotally connected to said lever equidistant from said pivotal mounting 8 are like links 9 which are also pivotally connected respectively with like plunger rods 10.

Said rods extend slidably vertically through respective bearing bosses 11 formed integral with the bar 3 adjacent corresponding ends thereof, and which guide said rods in vertical travel permitted by the compensating action of the links 9 in transmitting the rocking movement imparted by the actuating lever 7. Mounted upon the free end of each of said rods 10 within the tub and in close proximity to the corresponding inner wall thereof, is a hollow plunger 12 of such formation as to substantialy conform throughout its major portion with the adjacent wall of the tub and having an oppositely exposed vertical side face 13 formed with a horizontally elongated lateral opening 1% intermediate the top wall 15 and bottom wall 16 of said plunger. This opening is adapted to admit clothes and water to the interior of the plunger wherein a trap is formed by the juncture of the lower marginal edge of the vertical wall 13 with the bottom wall 16. Said bottom is preferably inclined and extended beyond the plane of the wall 13 in the form of a projecting flange or ledge 17 to assist in engaging and elevating the clothes with the upward movement of the plunger and to direct the displacement of water and clothes from beneath said plunger with the downward movement of the latter, said bottom wall being also pro vided with drainage perforations as at 18. The top wall of the plunger is provided with an aperture 19 for the reception of the free end of the plunger or rod 10 to which it is secured by clamping nuts 20 having screw threaded engagement with said rod.

While the described plunger may be; offectively employed singly with the tub and actuating means to function in the manner stated, preferably said plunger is employed in pairs as shown disposed in opposed spaced relation within the tub and reciprocated in unison in opposite directions relatively by a common actuating member. By this arrangement said plungers arecaused in their reciprocal movements to co-operate in acting upon the work from opposite directions, for example, as each plunger rises the water and clothes displaced and elevated thereby will be directed when discharged toward the opposite plunge-r to be similarly engaged and returned thereby. Thus the clothes will be subjected to rapid and continuous agitation under the penetrating "force of successive impacts of the water discharged thereon by the pumping action of the plungers in their reciprocal movement.

It will be noted that a comparatively small expenditure of efiort will be required in the operation of the described structure, owing to the counterbalancing tendency of the plungers upon the actuating member hence manual operation of the machine is rendered comparatively easy.

What we claim is 1. In a washing machine, a tub, an actuating member pivotally mounted on said tub, and hollow plungers Vertically reciprocable alternately by said actuating mem her in opposed spaced relation within said tub, said plungers having lateral openings intermediate the end-s in opposed vertical faces respectively thereof, and upwardly inelined bottom walls extended beyond the plane of said faces respectively.

2. In a washing machine, a tub, a pair of hollow plungers vertically reciprocatory in spaced relation within said tub, and having openings toward each other for admitting clothes and water to the interior of said plungers, and acommon means for reciprocating said plungers in opposite directions.

3. A washing machine plunger forming a receiver for clothes and water and having an opening in one wall for admitting clothes and water to the interior of said plunger and having its opposite wall curved to conform to the curvature of the wall of a tub, the lower margin of said opening being sufficicntly above the bottom of said plunger to form a pocket in the lower portion of the plunger.

4-. A washing machine plunger formed of sheet metal and having the nature of a receptacle having an opening in one of its walls for admitting clothes and water to said receptacle, the bottom portion of said receptacle forming a pocket below said opening, and having an opening for draining said pocket.

In testimony whereof we sign this specification.

WVILLIAM F. BLAKE. ETHEL R. BLAKE. 

